King of Kings ::Epilogue to The Dragon Royal Trilogy::
by Chrys Stone
Summary: It's finished, Maso is dead, Zeref has been reduced to ash, and the black dragon has taken a sword through the heart. Now it's time to go home, to Fairy Tail.


The doors to Fairy Tail burst open revealing the batter, beaten, and soaked forms of the family that had gone to save the world. Jellal and Wendy looked up at them with sadness radiating off of them, not meeting their eyes. Laid out on the table were the three bodies they had retrieved from Maso's Castle. Natsu's chest was barely rising and falling, the palor of his skin was sickly green, his hair and clothing caked with dried blood. Bastion was in a much better state, still green from loss of magic energy, but his breathing was only slightly hitched from the damage that had been done to his throat. He would start breathing normally once the muscle memory faded since Wendy had taken care of the actual damage.

"Bastion will be fine." Wendy informed around a sob. "I can't do anything else for Natsu, he has to fight to come back."

Levy rushed across the room, a sob that shattered the already broken hearts of those around them echoing off the high ceiling. Lucy was the picture of perfection in her battle suit, her long golden hair floating around her in the ice coffin that Natsu had cast to protect her body.

"Wake up Lu-chan." She beat her hands on the ice, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Wake up, dammit!" Her voice was shrill, and she was shaking from the cold that made her rain soaked skin bristle. "You aren't supposed to die, -hic- you need to -hic- go back -hic- to Draco." Her heart hammered in her chest painfully as the memory struck her so forcefully. "He -hic- is -hic- w-w-wa-it-t-ting. -hic-" Cana approached the blue haired woman tears streaming down her own face.

"What happened?" She asked in a broken voice.

"We need to restore her spirit form so she can come back to us." Erza's voice was shaking, but her tears had already run their course. "We just need to find out how." She swept past the crowd, heading for the library in the bowels of the guild, leaving a trail of water as she went. She didn't make it far when a brilliant light filled the whole guild hall. She turned around, to see three figures with down cast eyes and completely dry clothing. They walked forward, and Levy let out another cry of despair before rushing at the tall man with red hair.

"You knew! You had to have known! You let her die!" Her tiny fists were beating furiously on his chest, fresh tears streaming down her face. "I was going to do it, Igneel, I was supposed to, not her! Lucy wasn't supposed to die!" Erza's eyes grew wide as the name registered.

"He didn't know Levy, only I did." The woman turned to the tall golden haired man with wide eyes. "There was nothing that could change her mind, especially when she found out that you wanted to recreate the seal." Levy slipped to the ground, wrapping her arms around herself as the sobs wracked her small form.

Igneel swept past her and came to stand at the table, a hand ignited with flames flowing over the ice casket to melt it away. Draco moved across the room pulling out a small container that contained warm and soft golden glowing orbs of light. When Igneel was finished with the ice he moved to his grandson, and forced the flame into his mouth. Even in his sleep Natsu began to eat, his pale skin gaining color with every passing moment.

Everyone watched, holding their breath as his eyes slowly opened. He looked up at the familiar ceiling, and instantly started to sob. Tears were streaming down his face as he turn to see Lucy with her eyes closed, her skin pale, and her chest still.

"She used Kusanagi." He rasped. "Right through herself."

Understanding filled the eyes of the family, the sword cut through everything, including spirits and immortals. Wendy took her place at the top of the table once more, letting the soft glow of her magic envelope the woman, searching her for any signs of life.

Suddenly she looked up at Draco with wide eyes.

"You don't understand how that's possible, right?" Draco had a sad smile. "Come here Levy, I'm going to need you to help reverse the spell."

The woman pulled herself off the ground pushing away the offered hand of her husband, and ignoring the questioning stares of Laxus and the rest of the group from Era. She came to stand beside Draco, wiping away the last of her tears. She squared her shoulders, and began writing out the script in the ancient language of the dragons. A flash of light filled the guild once more as Vulpi and Loki joined the tall dragon.

"I had no idea this was the reason she asked me to do this." Loki handed Draco two more vials filled with a softer version of the golden orbs.

"You weren't supposed to give up." Levy whispered. "You were never supposed to give up." She let one last tear stream down her cheek as Draco opened his bottle and put it to the blonde woman's lips.

"Grandine, we'll need you to keep watch, we need as much time as possible. Igneel, hold Natsu down." There was a whirling of activity as a scream ripped through the guild hall. The color returned to Lucy's cheeks, her eyes snapping open. "Lucy, you need to decide." Levy's gaze was clouded with tears again. "Who do we save?"

Another cry of pain echoed off the walls and Levy reached out to hold her best friend's hand. Lucy's body was catching up with the time that had passed, the glow of the portion of her spirit that had been taken out of her trying to fill the vessel completely. Her belly swelled at an alarming rate, causing her to gasp and scream again.

"L-l-let me d-d-d-die." She ground out through gritted teeth. "I -gasp- want -gasp- you to look -gasp- after them -gasp- Levy." Her eyes squeezed closed as her body tensed against the sudden pull in her lower abdominal cavity.

"How?" Wendy's eye were wider than saucers.

"Of course I will, Lu-chan." Another scream ripped through the building, she took the last two vials and started the ritual that they had secretly worked on together. Levy battled back her tears, this was supposed to be a happy event, the beginning of a new adventure between her best friends, for their whole family. Lucy and she had plans, so many plans, but they were all about to come to a halt.

"It's time." Grandine moved into place with supplies in hand. "Lucy, try to channel your remaining strength." The blonde woman's family had come to shield her from view as the clothing from her lower body was removed. Natsu was screaming Lucy's name over and over, reaching for her as she screamed out again. "Wendy child, heal what you can until the very end." She looked up at her mother with understanding.

"Lucy, be strong, you have to breath through the pain." Wendy let her hands glow and she stroked the woman's hair in a soothing manner.

"This can't be happening, can it?" Erza asked with wide eyes as she came to stand next to Levy. "How is this possible?"

"Lucy wanted to protect the baby." Levy answered softly.

"Lucy saw it." Draco said sullenly. "When she realized that she was already pregnant she cast a spell similar to fairy sphere to protect the child until it was safe enough to let it progress. She released it during her stay with me, and sealed it again when we collected Natsu from Igneel."

"I-i-i-s i-t-t sa-fe no-w?" Lucy stuttered through her tears. She turned her head to lock eyes with Natsu, he quieted for a minute to gather himself. "Ple-ase, i-i-s i-t sa-fe?"

"Yeah, Luce; we beat 'em." Lucy reached out her hand, and Natsu did the same.

"I c-c-c-oul-d-dn't" Her sentence broke off into a scream as another spasm of pain raked her whole body.

"Shh, it's ok." Natsu wiggled enough out of Igneel's hold to lace his fingers through hers.

"She couldn't tell you." Draco decided he would explain in her place. "If you had realized what she wanted to do, you would have stopped her." He looked to the right where Levy was hovering, her face tight with pain as Lucy squeezed her hand. "The plan was to lure him to the door of the damned and take him inside with her. As a spirit she would simply vanish, leaving her body behind for this to happen."

"Lu-chan you did it, you saved everyone." The tears were falling again as Levy wiped a cool cloth across her friend's head. "Now you just have to hang on long enough to meet your little one.

"Lucy you were so brave." Wendy added soothingly. "It's almost over, please hold on a little longer."

"You... you knew you weren't going to make it." Natsu's voice was rasping with tears, as the memory of one of her dreams came back to him. "Even if you didn't fight, you weren't going to survive this." Lucy turned a watery smile towards her husband, nodding her head.

"Almost there Lucy, keep breathing." Wendy said encouragingly as the next spasm rocked her body.

"I can't... I can't... I can't." Lucy whimpered baring down against the pain, her eyes screwed shut.

"You can do it, Lucy." Levy said softly. "Give it all you have left."

Fire exploded through Lucy's pelvic floor, ripping an inhuman scream from her. A few seconds passed, tears streaming freely down her face as a new scream sounded.

"It's over Lucy." Wendy whispered.

"Let me see." She murmured weakly. Grandine cleaned the child quickly, wrapping a warm blanket around it's tiny form.

"It's a boy." She whispered as she pressed the child into his mother's arms.

Igneel released his hold on Natsu, letting him crawl the rest of the distance to spend Lucy's last moments together with her. The blonde had her forehead pressed to the child's, a soft smile on her lips as she whispered to the baby boy. Natsu curled up around the two, kissing the top of Lucy's head.

"He needs a name." Lucy pulled a shaking hand up to lay it on Natsu's wet cheek. "Aedan, my little prince born in flames." She nuzzled her nose into his soft pink tuft of hair, swallowing a sob as fresh tears leaked from her eyes. The baby quieted in her arms, his eyes opening ever so slightly to find the source of the soft voice he knew so well.

"Aedan Dragneel." Natsu repeated pulling them both closer. A whimper left him when he started to feel her mark fading from his chest. "D-d-don't g-g-go." He sobbed. "I ju-st found yo-u."

"I love you Natsu." She turned her face up, big brown eyes shining with tears as he pressed his lips to hers.

"I need you, Aedan needs you." Natsu pleaded as he pulled away. "Please, don't leave us." The light faded in her eyes slowly, a soft smile staying on her full lips as the last of her tears fell. When her hand fell limp between them, Natsu let out a pained cry that was echoed by his newborn son. The guild hall was filled with sobbing as they watched Natsu pull the child from Lucy's cold embrace. He laid there, trying desperately to cling to the last piece of Lucy that was left in his world.

* * *

><p>Levy closed the book in front of her with a sob. She had read through the pages a thousand times, but every single time it made her want to cry even harder. Slowly she took off her gale force reading glaces to look at the women sitting on the other side of the table. A warm brilliant smile spread across her face, her big brown eyes filled with anxiety and excitement.<p>

A moment turned into a minute, and a minute into ten.

.

.

.

"Y-y-y-you hated it?" Her voice was high pitched as she grabbed for the book. "I knew it, it wasn't any good at all."

"Why would you write something this tragic?" Levy couldn't contain the tears any longer. "She didn't have to die, there could have been a better way to kill the villain."

"Levy-chan, she sacrificed herself to save countless lives. She brought an end to the war, said goodbye and brought a new life into the world all in the matter of a few hours. It's a happy story."

"You should change the names before anyone else notices it." Levy said a little more seriously. "As if Gajeel would ever be interested in me like that."

"He is totally in love with you, in the standoffish anti-social way." She tucked a stray blonde hair behind her ear, laughing playfully.

"What's with Gray, that was some really strange back story you came up with." Levy gave her friend a disapproving look.

"I thought it would make it more, dramatic, just like mentioning that Loki doesn't look like he had the cat ears when he combs his hair a certain way." She crossed her arms over her chest, a pout on her full lips.

"What are you two talking about?" A lazy arm was draped over the blonde woman's shoulder after the initial shock that had caused her to jump.

"Natsu, how many times do I have to tell you not to scare me like that?" Levy laughed at the two of them.

"Lu-chan you need to change the names, other than that it was interesting. I hate that you kill the lead character, even though you made her so powerful that she could stomp totally take on ten Natsu's at once."

"Oh, is your book finally finished?" Natsu reached over to grab it from the table, but his hand was smacked away. "What did you decide to name it?"

"The King of Kings, the Story of Aeden Dragneel." Levy answered for the blonde, who had gone a million shades of red.

"It's not very original to use my last name." Natsu folded his arm over his chest, and Levy groaned in irritation.

"Here I was convinced that you would be ecstatic that I wanted to name a character after you." Lucy recovered faster than Levy anticipated.

"You're a weirdo Lucy." Natsu gave her a bright smile before running off to fight with Gray.

"Yes I am." Lucy watched him go with a wistful sigh.

"So, you're not going to change that name are you?" Levy giggled as Lucy shook her head.

"If I were ever to actually have a son I would want that to be his name, so it stays."

"Aedan Dragneel, King of the three kingdoms." Levy gave her friend's hand a gentle squeeze. "On day Natsu will stop being an idiot and notice you, I'm sure of it."

"Maybe some day, but for now, he is my best friend, my partner. I'm happy with the lives we lead."

THE END...


End file.
